Mumbai, Sept. 13 -- Before the 2023 Asian Games, the previous edition from which Indian shooters returned with double-digit medals was two decades back, a haul of 14 from Doha 2006 (Jakarta 2018 had only mixed team events). Hangzhou, in that sense, was a huge success, and the shooting range a big catalyst that fired India to its 100-plus medal goal. From that squad which delivered 22 medals (7 gold, 9 silver, 6 bronze), only six are part of the rifle and pistol contingents for this Asiad that will hope to match, if not better, the shooting heights of Hangzhou. Alongside the been-there-done-that presence of Rudrankksh Patil, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Ashi Chouksey (all rifle), Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, Anish Bhanwala (all pistol), there will be as many as 10 Asian Games debutants. That includes the entire men's 10m air pistol team (Kedarling Uchaganve, Aakash Bharadwaj, Kamaljeet), two men and women each in the air rifle team (Parth Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Sonam Maskar, Vidarsa Vinod), apart from Niraj Kumar and Tilottama Sen in rifle 3 positions. And, the most exciting young talent in pistol currently, Suruchi Singh. Suruchi, the Munich World Cup gold medallist in 10m event, is part of a brilliant women's pistol team on paper. It also features Paris Olympics double bronze medallist Manu, and Esha Singh, the country's most in-form shooter who in Munich joined Suruchi on the 10m podium with silver and broke the 25m world record. Manu and Esha will double up in 25m in the company of the 2018 champion Rahi Sarnobat. Much of the onus will be on the women's pistol team as well as the men's 3P team carrying the experience of Tomar and Patil, to do the heavy lifting - not just in terms of medals but also their quality. "This time, the number of gold should be better. We have a strong team overall, especially our pistol women's and 3P men's teams are really very strong," said national rifle coach Deepali Deshpande. Many of these shooters are in their first Asiad. It is why the presence of experienced faces - Patil, Tomar and Chouksey in rifle - will help in team events....